The present invention relates to a pepper grinding tool which has an inner grinding part turnably received in an outer grinding part to grind pepper in between, and particularly to one, of which the inner grinding part can only turn in one direction.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a conventional pepper tool, with British Patent No. 2256378, has a pressing block 10, a tooth bar 20, a gear wheel 30, a gear cluster 301, a shaft 40, an inner grinding part 50 and an outer grinding part 60.
The pressing block 10 is depressable to move the toothed bar 20 downwards; when the pressing block 10 is released, the toothed bar 20 is biased up by an elastic member. The gear wheel 30 is connected to the toothed bar 20 and the gear cluster 301. The shaft 40 is connected to gear cluster 301 and the inner grinding part 50 such that when the toothed bar 20 is moved up and down, the inner grinding part 50 can be turned by means of the gear wheel 30, the gear cluster 301 and the shaft 40.
The inner grinding part 50 is disposed in the outer grinding part 60 which is fixedly disposed in the pepper grinding tool.
Thus, the inner grinding part 50 can turn relative to the outer grinding part 60 to grind pepper in between.
However, the pepper grinding tool is found to have a disadvantage that the inner grinding part 50 turns in one direction when the pressing block 10 is depressed, and the other direction when the pressing block is released, making the grinding movement not relatively smooth, especially when there are relatively big pepper granules between the grinding parts 50 and 60.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a pepper grinding tool, of which the inner grinding part can turn relative to the outer grinding part in only one direction to make a relatively smooth grinding movement.
The pepper grinding tool of the present invention includes a housing member, a grinding assembly and a one-way member.
The grinding assembly has an inner grinding part and an outer grinding part. The outer grinding part is fixedly received in the housing member. The inner grinding part is turnably received in the outer part for permitting pepper to be ground in between.
The one-way member includes a main body, a ratchet, and a turning part. A shaft is passed through the main body and the ratchet, and is secured to the turning part from an upper end. The shaft is connected to the inner grinding part from a lower part. The turning part is disposed between teeth on an inner side of the ratchet; the ratchet is secured to the main body; the teeth of the ratchet engage the turning part when the ratchet turns clockwise in order for the inner grinding part to turn to grind pepper, the teeth can""t engage the turning part when the ratchet turns counterclockwise.
The main body of the one-way member is operationally connected to an operation lever and a torsional spring such that the main body can be turned by depressing and releasing the lever repeatedly. By depressing and releasing the lever repeatedly, the turning part, the shaft, and the inner grinding part connected to the turning part can turn and in only one direction in the pepper grinding movement.